Ahi Tuna Salad

I stepped out of my comfort zone for this recipe. Ahi Tuna is something I would order in a restaurant but previously was too nervous to try it at home. Silly, I know. Even sillier when you realize that the tuna cooks in less time than it takes to mix up the vinaigrette. Make this Ahi Tuna Salad for a quick lunch or dinner and feel like you are eating in a fancy restaurant.

This salad was my destiny. I didn’t know it was out there but it came to me in a big way. NYD I was chatting with my neighbors asking if they ever cook tuna steaks -something I was interested in but never gave it a try at home. Wouldn’t you know the next time I went to Costco there was a big case full of ahi tuna steaks? I picked one up on a whim not knowing exactly what I was going to do with it.

Fast forward to dinner time and I was struck with the “I don’t know what I am hungry for / what I should cook for dinner” conundrum so I opened up my spices / oils / and vinegars cupboard and stared in hoping for some inspiration to strike. That is when I spied a jar of wasabi powder gifted to me. Wasabi + tuna would give it a decidedly Asian spin and that is where destiny seemed to be directing me. And I was 100% ok with that.

Fresh mixed greens, thinly sliced carrots and cucumber, a lightly seared Ahi Tuna steak, and wasabi powder whisked into a vinaigrette all combined into a salad I will be eating on repeat this year. It feels good knowing I am getting so much protein, a healthy dose of B vitamins and vitamin D, along with all the benefits of eating a bunch of leafy greens each time I indulge in this Ahi Tuna Salad.

Are you a tuna fan?

Recipe Notes

The wasabi powder becomes spicier the longer it sits. I recommend mixing the vinaigrette before preparing the tuna and salad. Add more wasabi powder if you desire a spicier vinaigrette.

Ingredients

for the vinaigrette

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon coconut aminos or tamari / gluten free soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon wasabi powder (add more for spicier vinaigrette)

for the tuna & salad

6-8 ounces ahi tuna steak, thawed

kosher salt

freshly cracked black pepper

6 cups mixed greens

2 carrots, thinly sliced on the diagonal

2 mini cucumbers, thinly sliced on the diagonal

scallions, for garnish

black and/or white sesame seeds, for garnish

Directions

for the vinaigrette

In a small bowl whisk together all the vinaigrette ingredients

Set aside and allow the wasabi powder to flavor the vinaigrette

After 5 minutes or so taste and add more wasabi if you desire a spicier vinaigrette

for the tuna & salad

Heat a nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat

Generously season both sides of the tuna with kosher salt and freshly crack black pepper

Place the tuna in the skillet and sear for 3-5 minutes per side depending on your preference for doneness

Turn and cook another 3-4 minutes, remove and allow to cool slightly before thinly slicing

Prepare salad by plating 3 cups mixed greens, half the carrots and cucumber, top with thinly sliced tuna, garnish with scallions and sesame seeds, drizzle a little vinaigrette over everything

I really want to make this! Your recipe looks easy and delicious. I am obsessed with fresh poke from an awesome seafood joint down the road by the beach, but truly, my bank account would appreciate me making my own poke or ahi tuna salad. =) Thanks for sharing this fabulous recipe!